tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3723807160461730292019-09-03T02:27:41.710-07:00David King StudioDavid Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-19197577584669248242019-07-07T15:59:00.000-07:002019-07-07T15:59:47.124-07:00No Prints, No MoreIt's been more than a year since my last blog post.&nbsp; I had stopped blogging for two reasons.&nbsp; One, I couldn't tell that me or anybody else was really benefitting from it, and two I got distracted by other things, namely social media and photo based art.&nbsp; I have now decided to repent, at least to some extent. <br /><br />The big news is I've closed my Fine Art America/Pixels (FAA) account.&nbsp; I was using FAA as my website and my print-on-demand service.&nbsp; I've now redirected my domain back to this blog and for the foreseeable future will not offer my art print-on-demand. I won't go into detail the reasons why but suffice it to say I don't feel FAA serves my needs anymore and I also feel it was a distraction from pursuits that for me are probably of more value. I would like to thank those few that did purchase prints of my art on FAA. <br /><br />My original paintings and drawings are still available.&nbsp; You can either contact me via <a href="mailto:davidkingstudio@gmail.com" target="_blank">email</a> or shop on <a href="https://www.ebay.com/sch/davidkingstudio/m.html?_nkw=&amp;_armrs=1&amp;_ipg=&amp;_from=" target="_blank">ebay</a> where I have many pieces listed.<br /><br />Since I've closed my FAA account I can turn some of my focus back to this blog. I actually plan to start blogging again though I can't say for sure how regular I'll be about it, I'll shoot for once/week but won't make any promises.&nbsp; I'll also gradually work on cleaning stuff up here.&nbsp; The portfolio pages are out of date and I think many links are dead, please be patient, this is going to take some time.<br /><br />I suppose since this is an art blog I should post some art.&nbsp; This is the latest artsy thing I've done, just a quick charcoal and pastel sketch based on a photo I took on a recent visit to the Erickson Ranch in Wallsburg, Utah.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnMdtyhqJzs/XSJ4aL1TX8I/AAAAAAAADFQ/km6FRvX071UjNLbzDDGPjQDZpVzzjqeogCLcBGAs/s1600/mxd002-0619-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sketch drawing charcoal paste truck abandoned rust rusty" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnMdtyhqJzs/XSJ4aL1TX8I/AAAAAAAADFQ/km6FRvX071UjNLbzDDGPjQDZpVzzjqeogCLcBGAs/s400/mxd002-0619-L.jpg" title="mixed media abandoned truck sketch" width="400" /></a></div><br />David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-67302676170881836482018-05-09T19:46:00.000-07:002019-07-07T16:00:57.368-07:00Keeping it Subtle<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CrzZ6HGDeWM/WvOtO0Iip0I/AAAAAAAAC-Y/KVAFtjwzSOgeDUBl5eL6Y_X6a3RVRBVGACLcBGAs/s1600/MIX-003-0518-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art drawing charcoal truck abandoned rust rural farm" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CrzZ6HGDeWM/WvOtO0Iip0I/AAAAAAAAC-Y/KVAFtjwzSOgeDUBl5eL6Y_X6a3RVRBVGACLcBGAs/s400/MIX-003-0518-L.jpg" title="Bygones" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Bygones"</i><i><br /></i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">$160</div><div style="text-align: center;">12" X 16", Charcoal and soft pastel on paper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While I do enjoy drawing with charcoal I kind of miss color while doing so.&nbsp; If you look at my paintings you'll notice I tend to get pretty colorful with them much of the time.&nbsp; I've added color to charcoal paintings in the last by first applying a watercolor wash and adding a few pastel pencil marks at the end.&nbsp; I decided to try something a little different this time.&nbsp; I did start out intending to do just a straight up charcoal drawing but as I went along I couldn't help imagine it with some color.&nbsp; First I just applied some ochre tinted charcoal to the foreground but that wasn't enough.&nbsp; So I got out my pastel painting travel box and picked out a few pastels with grayish tones that fit the theme of the drawing.&nbsp; I was concerned that the Arches hot pressed watercolor paper I was using wouldn't have enough tooth to hold the pastel so I made sure to keep a light touch.&nbsp; I was pleasantly surprised to see the paper take the pastel quite well, though only light layering is possible.&nbsp; Just the fact that the pastel was being mixed with charcoal kept the colors on the gray side but I made sure to use colors that would not overpower the drawing.&nbsp; Bright, saturated colors alongside charcoal just wouldn't look right, at least not with this subject.&nbsp; I'm pretty happy with how this worked out, I'm sure I'll mix pastel and charcoal more often in the future.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As for the subject, it's an early 1970's Ford heavy truck.&nbsp; I'm not sure exactly which year or model but it had a gross weight rating sticker on it for 21,000 lbs. so it was pretty heavy duty.&nbsp; I found it sitting in a field on a ranch or farm in Leamington, Utah.&nbsp; Leamington is a very small town in west central Utah yet I enjoyed exploring it very much, it had a few abandoned tractors, trucks and cars as well as just having the general appeal of a rural town out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by open space.&nbsp; I saw very little movement while I was out there and heard even less, the kind of place I think I'd like to retire to.&nbsp; As for the title, "Bygones" I'm honestly not sure where it came from or how it applies to this drawing.&nbsp; Sometimes the title for a piece comes to me before I even start working on it, however more often than not I don't come up with a title until I'm finished and need to post it online, that's what happened to me with this one.&nbsp; While I was uploading the file the title just kind of popped into my head, I'm not sure what it means but for some reason it seems perfect.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fre8hbx1RlE/XPyAoVIUvOI/AAAAAAAADEw/0iy1Cy0Eq1ETbbchkkHTkDXIj0oGLl9KQCLcBGAs/s1600/EBAY%2BBANNER%2B600PX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="600" height="53" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fre8hbx1RlE/XPyAoVIUvOI/AAAAAAAADEw/0iy1Cy0Eq1ETbbchkkHTkDXIj0oGLl9KQCLcBGAs/s320/EBAY%2BBANNER%2B600PX.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-46955190269263339322018-04-02T15:47:00.001-07:002019-07-07T16:02:49.468-07:00Drawing the MundaneI seem to be drawn to intimate scenes that I suppose others might consider to be mundane.&nbsp; I see the romance in an old fence post, nature's glory in grass growing along a ditch and wonder in the knots of a tree trunk, so of course these things make it into my art.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8m01qco91A/WsKwMpTGt_I/AAAAAAAAC9w/c0IlZQ37tnET2PQFkAiiHJKJyFbsNXqLgCLcBGAs/s1600/MIX-002-0318-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art drawing mixed media rural landscape countryside" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8m01qco91A/WsKwMpTGt_I/AAAAAAAAC9w/c0IlZQ37tnET2PQFkAiiHJKJyFbsNXqLgCLcBGAs/s400/MIX-002-0318-L.jpg" title="Rural Fence" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Rural Fence"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">8" X 10", mixed media on paper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232706170212" target="_blank">Original Available on ebay</a><br /><br /></div><div>What does this little scene make you think of?&nbsp; How does it make you feel?&nbsp; For me it makes me think of the relative quiet of rural open land, the slight summer breeze making the grass sway as it cools my skin.&nbsp; I also imagine the hands that built that fence and how time has aged it.&nbsp; How big was that tree when the fence was originally built?&nbsp; It was probably small and over time has grown to actually become part of the fence, as well as provide shade for the cows. I get a sense of peace, of tranquility when I'm in a scene like this or when I paint or draw it.&nbsp; Maybe I'm being a little sappy but I just can't help it. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div>This drawing is a mixed media piece.&nbsp; I started out with some light watercolor washes and then drew the whole thing with charcoal pencils and erasers then I applied a bit more color in spots using pastel pencils.&nbsp; The result is a subtly colored drawing that I feel is in keeping with the calm feeling of actually being out in the rural landscape.<br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-49365811859960313112018-03-04T19:54:00.002-08:002019-07-07T16:03:14.218-07:00Adding Some ColorBack in October 2017 I started to participate in Inktober, the annual social media event that encourages artists to produce one piece of art per day using ink. I only made it about two weeks before I abandoned it but that was better than previous years.&nbsp; Since then I've had these pen sketches laying about and I decided recently to add some color to a couple of them.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dd3bNEG982o/Wpy9GNGRVPI/AAAAAAAAC80/DXrFYXONwVQlYy7jhYAV2jnBiOC4LlQWwCLcBGAs/s1600/pwc001-0218-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art sketch pen watercolor truck 1935 Ford flatbed" border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="800" height="342" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dd3bNEG982o/Wpy9GNGRVPI/AAAAAAAAC80/DXrFYXONwVQlYy7jhYAV2jnBiOC4LlQWwCLcBGAs/s400/pwc001-0218-L.jpg" title="Abandoned Ford Flatbed Truck" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Abandoned Ford Flatbed Truck"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">Pen and watercolor on paper, 6" X 7"<br /><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232687445398?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649" target="_blank">Original - $35</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This first one is a 1935 Ford flatbed truck left to rot out in a field in the high desert of northern Utah, you know, one of my favorite subjects.&nbsp; The sketch is based on a photo I took on a ranch in Wallsburg, Utah.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJhWzRzmz9c/Wpy9_oT0hyI/AAAAAAAAC88/yRWjiSIRtVYypv1IMhIuSw4MZjZCP4SQQCLcBGAs/s1600/pwc002-0218-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art card ACEO tractor Farmall vintage red" border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="600" height="285" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJhWzRzmz9c/Wpy9_oT0hyI/AAAAAAAAC88/yRWjiSIRtVYypv1IMhIuSw4MZjZCP4SQQCLcBGAs/s400/pwc002-0218-L.jpg" title="The Old Red Farmall" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"The Old Red Farmall"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">Pen and watercolor on paper, 2 1/2" X 3 1/2"</div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">Sold</span></h3>This second sketch is a late 1960's vintage red Farmall tractor.&nbsp; It's based on a photo I took somewhere along a rural back road in northern Utah but I don't remember exactly where.&nbsp; It was in very good condition for it's age so I assume it's been restored, probably only does parade duty now.&nbsp; This sketch is in a size referred to as an ACEO, (Art Card Editions and Originals) that same size as hobby collector cards so that makes it especially collectible, right?<br /><h3></h3><h3><br /></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-6349387510231336162018-02-03T19:53:00.002-08:002019-07-07T16:03:28.605-07:00Getting All Abstracty AgainOkay, I never end up going full abstract, but every now and then I just kind of want to go wild and see how far I can take a subject towards abstraction by slathering on the paint with a palette knife.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SHCPFOCdy2Q/WnaBv6LrA-I/AAAAAAAACvg/I8Fy3ojeDjEoAnavWdYub26EcD8Jwt8jACLcBGAs/s1600/ACR022-10X8-1217-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting abstract landscape rural barn field palette knife" border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SHCPFOCdy2Q/WnaBv6LrA-I/AAAAAAAACvg/I8Fy3ojeDjEoAnavWdYub26EcD8Jwt8jACLcBGAs/s400/ACR022-10X8-1217-L.jpg" title="Field and Barns" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Field and Barns"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">Acrylic on 1/8" panel, 10" X 8"<br /><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232648838599?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649" target="_blank">Original -&nbsp;$100</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not only was I trying to find the limits of representational abstraction here, I was also trying to simplify.&nbsp; The foreground "grasses" point up into the diagonals of the "field" which draws the eye to the distant barns which are backed by trees, mountains and sky.&nbsp; The painting has lots of color interest in it without hitting you over the head with it. I used a photo I took while exploring the rural back roads of Spanish Fork, Utah as my reference.&nbsp; I think I came pretty close to my goals with this painting, it's pretty simple and abstract while having plenty of that palette knife induced texture I love.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-17209141902632032242018-01-31T16:58:00.000-08:002019-07-07T16:03:43.318-07:00Getting Your Gloom OnProbably not the best title for a blog post but appropriate for today's subject.&nbsp; Generally speaking I prefer bright, sunny days, but can overcast and gloomy be as beautiful?&nbsp; I'm not sure but I set out to paint a gloomy day in this painting and see what happens.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzfj8f2Vj6E/WnJiQ-KqunI/AAAAAAAACu0/CbwIVb_isJMMqZzPgphwmjNWlbLWJvE9gCEwYBhgL/s1600/OIL-003-1217-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting oil landscape impressionism nature autumn overcast" border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="494" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzfj8f2Vj6E/WnJiQ-KqunI/AAAAAAAACu0/CbwIVb_isJMMqZzPgphwmjNWlbLWJvE9gCEwYBhgL/s400/OIL-003-1217-L.jpg" title="Gloomy Day Hike" width="312" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Gloomy Day Hike"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">Oil, 14" X 11" on 1/8" panel<br /><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232648829007?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649" target="_blank">Original - $160</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sometimes you just have no choice, you have to take the weather Mother Nature hands you. Especially during autumn which is a fleeting season, you have to take every opportunity to get out and enjoy the color regardless.&nbsp; That what I did a few years ago when I made a weekend trip to Ogden Valley and explored the preserved nature areas surrounding the Pineview reservoir.&nbsp; It was a heavily overcast day, the sun never made an appearance but at least it didn't rain...much, I did get sprinkled on a bit.&nbsp; I took a lot of photos that day and yep, they all came out rather gloomy, including the one this painting is based on.&nbsp; One thing about overcast days is the lack of a strong light source tends to reduce the value range considerably, darks aren't as dark and lights are not as light so you end up with a middle key image, something to keep in mind while painting from a photo since the values will most likely be inaccurate in the photograph. I did increase the drama a bit from the photograph by making the sky more interesting.&nbsp; In the photo the sky is just kind of a flat, purplish gray, a common problem for amateur photographers like me.&nbsp; While I generally prefer to paint sunny days this gloomy day painting was an interesting exercise.&nbsp; Also unusual for me was the use of oil paint, my paintings tend more towards grayness when painting with oils for some reason anyway, so quite appropriate for this painting.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-56354490055558831692018-01-17T20:56:00.000-08:002019-07-07T16:06:42.179-07:00Little SquaresSeems like I can't leave well enough alone, I'm always experimenting, especially the last year or so.&nbsp; However my typical go-to techniques have been either lots of layering using brushes and glazing or thick palette knife application.&nbsp; Last month I made two paintings using a somewhat different technique/style.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOEuVTbGgxQ/WmAjXCV3lnI/AAAAAAAACuY/oNXfrZ_-Pg4t6OcNgpHascERnkuyJdf5gCLcBGAs/s1600/ACR021-10X8-1217-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art original for sale painting nature mountain outdoors" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="636" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FOEuVTbGgxQ/WmAjXCV3lnI/AAAAAAAACuY/oNXfrZ_-Pg4t6OcNgpHascERnkuyJdf5gCLcBGAs/s400/ACR021-10X8-1217-L.jpg" title="Spring Walk in the Mountains" width="317" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Spring Walk in the Mountains"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">Acrylic on 1/8" panel, 10" X 8"<br />Original - $100<br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/spring-walk-in-the-mountains-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As you can see in this painting the entire image is made up of small, square brush strokes creating a sort of mosaic effect.&nbsp; I'm not sure this could technically be called impressionism but the image is more abstract the closer you look at it so it does have an impressionistic visual effect.&nbsp; The technique is very simple and I think that is one of the things that appeals to me.&nbsp; I did a simple underpainting to establish the composition then simply applied deliberate brushstrokes.&nbsp; The idea is to always consider the brushstroke color, direction and placement before putting it down, it forces you to slow down and by more mindful.&nbsp; My goal was to avoid having to rework my brushstrokes.&nbsp; There is some overlapping of strokes but nothing to the extent that could be called layering.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the challenging aspects of using this technique with this image is that I was using square brushstrokes to represent the organic shapes of clouds, distant mountains and trees without it looking mechanical, I think it worked out pretty well.&nbsp; The painting is based on one of the many photos I've taken while hiking in the Wasatch Mountains, I think I was on the Willow Heights Conservation area trail for this one.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-XS_HL1Q7I/WmAmPmd3-AI/AAAAAAAACuk/yGmHUo0irbENmakKS0sNjDwdW5G1zohqgCLcBGAs/s1600/ACR020-20X16-1217-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="original painting art classic car Chevy 1948" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="642" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-XS_HL1Q7I/WmAmPmd3-AI/AAAAAAAACuk/yGmHUo0irbENmakKS0sNjDwdW5G1zohqgCLcBGAs/s400/ACR020-20X16-1217-L.jpg" title="Red 1948 Chevy" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Red 1948 Chevy"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">Acrylic on 3/4" panel, 20" X 16"<br /><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232634412210?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649" target="_blank">Original - $300</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This second painting was an experiment of trying the "little squares" technique on a vehicle.&nbsp; To keep it simple I chose a close crop of a 1948 Chevy that I photographed at a car show and I put in a simple abstract background.&nbsp; While I did have to stray slightly from the "little squares" concept in order to maintain the identity of the car it was easier than I thought it would be to keep the variety of shapes on a classic car identifiable, and it was a lot of fun and went quicker than I expected.</div><div><br /></div>I think there is plenty of potential in the "little squares" technique/style, the process was enjoyable and produced interesting and effective results, I'm sure I'll continue to explore this concept.<br /><br /><h3><br /></h3><h3></h3><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-47941806745055556932017-12-02T16:17:00.000-08:002019-07-07T16:04:45.374-07:00Dragging My Feet...but at least I've done some sketching.&nbsp; Yes, it's been about a month and a half since I've posted anything.&nbsp; Truth is I haven't been making much art lately and what I had done has been mostly experimental, or I've abandoned it before finishing.&nbsp; I have done some life sketching though.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjF2UZtuBzA/WiNAs6tO4cI/AAAAAAAACuA/bCgj89jsCBUBeULUX3k-d1XdZAiZQ6S0gCLcBGAs/s1600/sketchbook063-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pen ink drawing sketch shed barn rural" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjF2UZtuBzA/WiNAs6tO4cI/AAAAAAAACuA/bCgj89jsCBUBeULUX3k-d1XdZAiZQ6S0gCLcBGAs/s400/sketchbook063-L.jpg" title="Old Hay Shed Sketch" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I did this pen sketch from inside my car out in the southwest quadrant of the valley a couple weeks ago.&nbsp; Yes, even in the middle of the suburbs you can find the occasional rural subject. I had Franklin Booth's style in mind while sketching this, it's a poor imitation but was an interesting exercise.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h6vxHCHnYdg/WiNBYSIzJtI/AAAAAAAACuI/zt1d7FX6vwwSxrif8TwLQ5lvIDR9P4ahgCLcBGAs/s1600/sketchbook064-H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tractor sketch life minneapolis moline farm wheeler" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h6vxHCHnYdg/WiNBYSIzJtI/AAAAAAAACuI/zt1d7FX6vwwSxrif8TwLQ5lvIDR9P4ahgCLcBGAs/s400/sketchbook064-H.jpg" title="Tractor pencil sketch" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been a long time since I've been to Wheeler Farm, there have been some changes, however this vintage Minneapolis Moline tractor is still sitting in the exact same place. I've sketched this tractor before, but from an angle in pen and watercolor.&nbsp; This time I kept it simple and just used a .9 mechanical pencil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It looks like the winter weather is finally moving in starting tomorrow, I wish I could say I'll get back into the life sketching habit and go out every week but that's going to depend on the weather.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><br /></h3><br />David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-10931269740480677232017-10-15T16:26:00.000-07:002019-07-07T16:05:38.763-07:00Oily Palette Knife FunEvery once in a while I just feel a need to get the oils out.&nbsp; The result is usually somewhat less than happy but I do it anyway.&nbsp; I guess my temperament is more suited to acrylics.&nbsp; However once in a while it does work out, in fact my latest oil painting may be my best oil painting to date.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARvhwaA5MoU/WePsLxdElqI/AAAAAAAACtw/qQqGiBtpybgFVFyOzT--LeEn7qDy6cAoACLcBGAs/s1600/OIL-002-0917-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting oil landscape autumn marsh Ogden Valley Utah" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARvhwaA5MoU/WePsLxdElqI/AAAAAAAACtw/qQqGiBtpybgFVFyOzT--LeEn7qDy6cAoACLcBGAs/s400/OIL-002-0917-L.jpg" title="Ogden Valley Marsh" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Ogden Valley Marsh"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">8" X 10", oil on panel</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232878528565" target="_blank">Available on ebay</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I painted this one entirely with a palette knife which may be why it worked out, however it's hard to layer thick oil paint on top of thick oil paint, at least I don't have the touch for it.&nbsp; The painting is based on one of the charcoal studies I shared in the last blog post which was based on a photo I took in Ogden Valley Utah late fall a few years ago.&nbsp; The thin little stream of water meandering down the yellowish-orange marshy area made for a great composition, of course the trees and hills in the background helped in their secondary roles.&nbsp; Ogden Valley is one of my favorite areas to visit any time, but especially during autumn.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-74075389588435893992017-09-24T17:52:00.000-07:002018-07-04T16:02:16.816-07:00Charcoal StudiesI've recently started making charcoal studies before making a painting.&nbsp; Charcoal allows for a very quick exploration of composition and values with a little more detail than a thumbnail and they can become finished works in their own right.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YD0BUdroCJo/WchQZ3fahRI/AAAAAAAACrU/YTL9lxR4jn4ArLLB80xqlK6vc9gTmihBwCLcBGAs/s1600/CHA006-9X12-0917-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="charcoal drawing landscape art mountain hay field farm" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YD0BUdroCJo/WchQZ3fahRI/AAAAAAAACrU/YTL9lxR4jn4ArLLB80xqlK6vc9gTmihBwCLcBGAs/s400/CHA006-9X12-0917-L.jpg" title="Rural Landscape Study" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Rural Landscape Study"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">9" X 12", Charcoal on paper<br />Original - $100<br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/rural-landscape-study-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></div><br />This study is based on a photo I took in rural Sanpete county in central Utah.&nbsp; I think it's a good representation of the open agricultural land you find there.&nbsp; I started a painting of this but it wasn't turning out, I might return to it some day and try again.&nbsp; They can't all be winners.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpQ7IncSZaM/WchRapTYf8I/AAAAAAAACrY/E8NVo6ZxzUQS4WbbkcTL4mz-3EmnnUWuwCEwYBhgL/s1600/CHA007-8X10-0917-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art landscape nature marsh wetland drawing charcoal" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpQ7IncSZaM/WchRapTYf8I/AAAAAAAACrY/E8NVo6ZxzUQS4WbbkcTL4mz-3EmnnUWuwCEwYBhgL/s400/CHA007-8X10-0917-L.jpg" title="Ogden Valley Marsh Study" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Ogden Valley Marsh Study"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">8" X 10", Charcoal on Paper<br /><span style="color: #000032;">Original - $80</span><br /><span style="color: #000032;"><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/ogden-valley-marsh-study-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000032;"></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Late in the summer season Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Valley, Utah drops low enough that some of the outlying areas become marshes.&nbsp; I took the photo this charcoal sketch is based on during autumn one year and there was a small stream meandering down to the reservoir through a marshy field, I knew I'd do something with that some day, so here is the sketch.&nbsp; I've also done a painting based on this sketch and will share it at a later date.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank">Visit David King Studio Prints</a>!</h3><br /><br /><br />David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-79998883693733925972017-09-11T20:14:00.001-07:002018-07-04T16:04:22.514-07:00Sometimes You have to Switch GearsDo you remember that post from several weeks back?&nbsp; You know, the post where I showed a work in progress photo of my latest painting and it was in pastel? &nbsp;<a href="http://davidkingstudio.blogspot.com/2017/08/slowly-but-surely.html" target="_blank">Here it is in case you forgot.</a>&nbsp; If you look below you'll notice the image here looks very similar but it isn't pastel.&nbsp; That's right, I started over in acrylic.&nbsp; I can't really explain why I switched mediums for this piece, it just seemed like the right thing to do.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BplUk0qCG2E/WbdM6cjUniI/AAAAAAAACq4/_MEjP5L-BP0hhxNXn3xo7gnUVidkPIguwCLcBGAs/s1600/ACR016-11X14-0917-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art landscape impressionism tree fence painting rural" border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="800" height="313" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BplUk0qCG2E/WbdM6cjUniI/AAAAAAAACq4/_MEjP5L-BP0hhxNXn3xo7gnUVidkPIguwCLcBGAs/s400/ACR016-11X14-0917-L.jpg" title="Fence Line Tree" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Fence Line Tree"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">11" X 14, Acrylic on panel</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000032;">Original - $160</span><br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/fence-line-tree-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #000032;"></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I used both a sketch and a photo as reference for this painting.&nbsp; The only thing in the photo that is also in the painting is the tree and even it's been altered a bit.&nbsp; Even when I did the sketch on location on the Jordan River Parkway I added the fence and grasses, here's the sketch;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aupsQuDFY58/WbdPUpkpXCI/AAAAAAAACrE/xECnBOokNqAsKv3R1Ojdkv21ctXBVu2NQCLcBGAs/s1600/sketch223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art plein air sketch watercolor tree fence" border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="467" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aupsQuDFY58/WbdPUpkpXCI/AAAAAAAACrE/xECnBOokNqAsKv3R1Ojdkv21ctXBVu2NQCLcBGAs/s400/sketch223.jpg" title="Tree Sketch" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Funny thing, that bush at the base of the tree was actually there but I didn't include it in the painting. The sketch saved me while making this painting.&nbsp; I started out with only the photo reference and was getting frustrated with the tree, something about it just wasn't right but I couldn't put my finger on it.&nbsp; Then I remembered I had done the sketch and so I searched through my sketch books until I found it and turns out it had the answers I needed.&nbsp; This is a perfect example of how there is often information missing in photos.&nbsp; I remember while making the sketch I thought an old tractor would look good parked under that tree, obviously I decided against adding a tractor, maybe in a later version.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank">Visit David King Studio Prints!</a></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-69040535836079513732017-08-27T17:26:00.000-07:002018-07-04T16:06:19.995-07:00Sketch and WashI've been really lax about sketching practice this year, especially life sketching.&nbsp; It's just been real difficult finding motivation for quite some time.&nbsp; I decided to try to turn that around today and spend some time this morning sketching out in nature.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dgfFSX4p_6s/WaNbIAnNY0I/AAAAAAAACqc/WH-UsLuVOBEJIbRlsmA4wQv8dU-06snnACLcBGAs/s1600/sketchbook013-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art sketch life nature plein air graphite tree rock" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dgfFSX4p_6s/WaNbIAnNY0I/AAAAAAAACqc/WH-UsLuVOBEJIbRlsmA4wQv8dU-06snnACLcBGAs/s400/sketchbook013-L.jpg" title="Nature Life Sketch I" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/1-sketchbook-013-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a><br /><br /></div><div>I went to Sugarhouse Park and sketched along Parley's Creek.&nbsp; Parley's Creek is named after an early LDS church leader, or rather the canyon that the creek flows down was named after him, it became the canyon most of the pioneers used to get down to the Salt Lake Valley, currently Interstate 80 uses it. </div><div><br /></div><div>You get a lot of densely packed nature along a creek, plants do love water, it can be difficult to organize all those values, shapes and textures.&nbsp; I decided to try a different tool for capturing all that value and texture quickly, General's "Sketch and Wash" water soluble graphite pencil. In combination with a water brush the Sketch and Wash pencil allowed me to draw, fill in tones and spread it all around very quickly.&nbsp; Even a seemingly simple little nature sketch as above can have a lot going on in it.&nbsp; The Sketch and Wash pencil allowed me to put in some relatively flat and smooth areas of tone along with smooth gradations, but since it's a pencil it can be used to put down line and texture very easily as well, just draw normally and don't add water, on do a dry brush only slightly modifying the pencil lines.&nbsp; The possibilities for tone and texture are nearly endless.&nbsp; I would compare the hardness of the Sketch and Wash to a 2B normal graphite pencil.&nbsp;</div><div><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div>Is there a downside to the Sketch and Wash?&nbsp; Yes there is, you have to treat it more or less like watercolor, it can't really be erased once set with water.&nbsp; Even before setting it with water the Sketch and Wash pencil does not erase as well as normal graphite.&nbsp; However, like watercolor, if an area is too dark just wet it and then use a paper towel to dap it and remove the excess graphite, or sometimes just wiping your brush and then applying again to the area is enough, however it's impossible to get all the way back to the white of the paper, so preserve those highlights!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6GmsPKJPnXg/WaNeZ7MIIoI/AAAAAAAACqo/wLjeRHEa0Ho0xzyam4FdCk07IrmLD9sigCLcBGAs/s1600/sketchbook014-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art sketch life graphite plein air tree trunk roots" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6GmsPKJPnXg/WaNeZ7MIIoI/AAAAAAAACqo/wLjeRHEa0Ho0xzyam4FdCk07IrmLD9sigCLcBGAs/s400/sketchbook014-L.jpg" title="Nature Sketch II" width="400" /></a></div></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/sketchbook-014-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This sketch was done just a little ways upstream of the previous. Again the Sketch and Wash pencil allowed me to quickly capture all the shapes and tones of those abstract shapes created by the tree roots.&nbsp; One other thing about the Sketch and Wash pencil is you can't get truly black darks with it, not even as dark as normal graphite, I knew this going in and took a Generals Carbon Sketch pencil with me which makes about the blackest blacks marks I've ever seen to supplement the Sketch and Wash however I forgot to use it!&nbsp; Oh well, maybe next time, and there will definitely be a next time, I think this has become one of my all time favorite sketching tools.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The other "tool" I used today is the sketchbook which is a Stillman and Birnes Beta Series.&nbsp; The Beta Series have semi-heavy paper with moderate texture for use as a mixed media sketchbook.&nbsp; The paper took the water used in making these sketches great, not warping or wrinkling at all, however if you did heavy overall wet washes I'm sure the paper would warp some from that so I'd suggest keeping water application on the conservative side.&nbsp; Also, the texture is a little too heavy for a straight up graphite pencil sketch in my opinion, the texture just overwhelms the pencil marks however it works great with the Sketch and Wash since you can use water to cause the graphite to fill in the grain of the paper with tone</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was really good to get out in nature today, though since it was at a public park it was more noisy that I would have liked but well worth it...until the heat got turned up then it was time to head home.&nbsp; It's kind of funny, it's late August and our temps are still in the 90's yet I am seeing some trees starting to turn to their fall colors, soon we'll be saying good bye to summer...sigh, I better make the most of it and get out more often with my sketchbook.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank">Visit David King Studio Prints!</a></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-29771345806969376372017-08-13T18:13:00.000-07:002018-07-04T16:08:11.689-07:00Mixed Methods of Paint ApplicationMy latest painting was a bit of an experimentation on a couple fronts.&nbsp; First, I was doing the same thing I've done with almost every painting lately, and that is pursuing the abstraction of the subject while maintaining representation.&nbsp; In same ways I think this painting was a gentle nudge in that direction but in other ways possibly a bit of a pull back.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvGpBcbYGCw/WZD0opDlpNI/AAAAAAAACpc/QPVQ1KCf-9cwZfePo6WL8pbNRwW4cpQQgCLcBGAs/s1600/ACR015-12X9-0817-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvGpBcbYGCw/WZD0opDlpNI/AAAAAAAACpc/QPVQ1KCf-9cwZfePo6WL8pbNRwW4cpQQgCLcBGAs/s400/ACR015-12X9-0817-L.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Into Autumn"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">12" X 9", Acrylic on panel<br /><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232445694498?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649" target="_blank">Original - $120</a><br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/into-autumn-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The other experimental part to this painting has to do with the title of this blog post.&nbsp; As you can see this painting has the texture of a palette knife painting, except I didn't use just palette knives to paint this autumn landscape.&nbsp; First I toned the panel using quinacridone burnt orange, a misting of water and a paper towel.&nbsp; After outlining the basic composition with a brush I massed in the painting using brushes, but starting with paint mixed with glazing medium so it went on transparently.&nbsp; After a few layers I started using more opaque paint until the painting was more or less blocked in, but at the same time it wasn't my intention to totally cover the surface, I like to see bits of that quinacridone poking through here and there also I didn't want the paint to get too finished before the next step.&nbsp; Next I got out the palette knives, however I didn't put the brushes totally aside yet.&nbsp; I kept one old medium size bristle brush out and used it to modify some of the palette knife strokes, in fact in some cases I applied a small pile of paint with the knife for the express purpose of hitting it with the bristle brush after.&nbsp; I didn't want to go crazy with this effect so I only did it a few times and then finished the painting up completely using knives.&nbsp; Here are a couple close up crops showing the texture, layers and the effects of using different application techniques.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PWewAM1DJzI/WZD3NwMrKtI/AAAAAAAACpo/apHv3JfMCxA9WnFbeBFPFv2q68raXif2gCLcBGAs/s1600/ACR015-12X9-0817-D1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="800" height="330" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PWewAM1DJzI/WZD3NwMrKtI/AAAAAAAACpo/apHv3JfMCxA9WnFbeBFPFv2q68raXif2gCLcBGAs/s400/ACR015-12X9-0817-D1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KUpOO5vM968/WZD3XP3z44I/AAAAAAAACps/lrrri6B5B7IhziWMAb7RMxpRqHsl66oNACLcBGAs/s1600/ACR015-12X9-0817-D2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="800" height="341" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KUpOO5vM968/WZD3XP3z44I/AAAAAAAACps/lrrri6B5B7IhziWMAb7RMxpRqHsl66oNACLcBGAs/s400/ACR015-12X9-0817-D2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">I did have a reference photo for this painting, taken somewhere in Ogden Valley, Utah I believe and it was taken during autumn but it was early in the season so had more green than I wanted and I also took some artistic liberties with the composition and shapes.&nbsp; I didn't want to focus on the photo too much anyway, hard to paint abstractly while looking at a photograph.&nbsp; Notice I only hinted at the grass, in the photo the area to the right of the road had lots of tall grass and it's always tempting to put that in for me because I love the texture of grass, so minimizing that, only suggesting it I think helped to keep this landscape abstract.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank">Visit David King Studio Prints!</a></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-43348620729737284332017-08-06T15:36:00.001-07:002018-07-04T16:11:19.403-07:00From Study to Studio<br /><br />While I have been focusing on online activities,<a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/collections/landscape+photographs" target="_blank"> photography</a> and <a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/collections/photo+paintings" target="_blank">digital art</a> I haven't completely neglected the easel.&nbsp; In fact I recently finished an experimental painting, experimental because it was painted with oil paints and completely with a palette knife.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sVojzACQfRc/WYeXLzoj_GI/AAAAAAAACog/QaSfqau3Fdkul_QFoy3WbHxyZG8qv3_sgCLcBGAs/s1600/OIL-001-0717-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="629" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sVojzACQfRc/WYeXLzoj_GI/AAAAAAAACog/QaSfqau3Fdkul_QFoy3WbHxyZG8qv3_sgCLcBGAs/s400/OIL-001-0717-L.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Parkway Spring"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">16" X 12", oil on panel<br />Original - $200<br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/parkway-spring-oil-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My only reference for making this painting was a small pastel study done on location (plein air) in June at the Jordan River Parkway.&nbsp; I know of I've mentioned the Jordan River Parkway a lot in the past but it just can't be helped, that stretch of conserved nature inspires me more than anything else in the Salt Lake Valley.&nbsp; Here's that little pastel study;</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAK9Hw-Kzf4/WYeYj_WMZzI/AAAAAAAACos/JOwZSj9Z57Y4jTibTb8M2H1_hOKQ1D6kwCLcBGAs/s1600/PAM001-7X5-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="571" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAK9Hw-Kzf4/WYeYj_WMZzI/AAAAAAAACos/JOwZSj9Z57Y4jTibTb8M2H1_hOKQ1D6kwCLcBGAs/s400/PAM001-7X5-L.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Parkway Spring Study"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">7" X 5", pastel on paper mounted to foam board.<br />Original - $50<br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/parkway-spring-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are a couple close up details of the oil painting showing off all that rich texture that painting with a palette knife creates.&nbsp; I think the painting can be as much about that texture as it is about the subject.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AsRybEAae28/WYeZjVn8lNI/AAAAAAAACo4/39f5Pw0aGQ4YFqCq1USgMwRqfHRHCBOCgCLcBGAs/s1600/OIL-001-0717-D1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="800" height="260" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AsRybEAae28/WYeZjVn8lNI/AAAAAAAACo4/39f5Pw0aGQ4YFqCq1USgMwRqfHRHCBOCgCLcBGAs/s320/OIL-001-0717-D1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VVkD3LTOqsk/WYeZrtw6jiI/AAAAAAAACo8/OmWE-w6rXe03qT3HRtTACTxlRz3Mf4Q4gCLcBGAs/s1600/OIL-001-0717-D2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="800" height="242" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VVkD3LTOqsk/WYeZrtw6jiI/AAAAAAAACo8/OmWE-w6rXe03qT3HRtTACTxlRz3Mf4Q4gCLcBGAs/s320/OIL-001-0717-D2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="color: #000120;"><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank">Visit David King Studio Prints!</a></span></u></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-9835584271375609502017-05-29T07:05:00.001-07:002018-07-04T16:13:15.361-07:00From Abstract to RepresentationalRecently I participated in a challenge on an artist forum.&nbsp; We were given several photos to choose from to use as references, the catch was the photos were all very blurry and just contained abstract shapes.&nbsp; From these reference we were to come up with all the details.&nbsp; This is the photo I chose to base my painting on;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6OHuLyYpAE4/WSwnP7cjVAI/AAAAAAAACi8/UYt3EMqgwTMBeGG4WVUzkaVcCQQAHVl4wCLcB/s1600/blur-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="art reference black white blurry challenge" border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6OHuLyYpAE4/WSwnP7cjVAI/AAAAAAAACi8/UYt3EMqgwTMBeGG4WVUzkaVcCQQAHVl4wCLcB/s400/blur-4.jpg" title="Blurry Abstract Reference" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Of course I picked this one because it immediately suggested a landscape to me.&nbsp;&nbsp; I could see a tree and bushes bordering the right side and pine trees in the distance, but what else?&nbsp; I started the painting by blocking in using a brush and only the abstract photo for a reference.&nbsp; Doing that was kind of an exercise that jump started my creativity and the rest of the image came into focus in my mind.&nbsp; This is the result;<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FoE7e2C-rTw/WSwoCdcSZSI/AAAAAAAACjE/FwO68iVUZJAaxhxBq7vEIFPruZRtwLRhgCLcB/s1600/ACR013-8X10-0517-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting palette knife lake mountain wilderness nature" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FoE7e2C-rTw/WSwoCdcSZSI/AAAAAAAACjE/FwO68iVUZJAaxhxBq7vEIFPruZRtwLRhgCLcB/s400/ACR013-8X10-0517-L.jpg" title="Mountain Lake" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Mountain Lake"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i>&nbsp;8" X 10", Acrylic on 1/8" panel<br /><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232352170740?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649" target="_blank">Original - $100</a><br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/mountain-lake-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a></div><br />As you can see I modified the composition a bit and switch to palette knives.&nbsp; I moved the background tree shapes a but more to the left and extended them to the left edge.&nbsp; I also added the distant mountain shapes and altered the foreground shapes a bit.&nbsp; So, from a blurry photo of nothing emerges a mountain landscape with a lake and evergreen trees, who'da thunk it?&nbsp; That's the advantage of having spent a lot of time painting and sketching from life, I've got thousands of images embedded in my brain for helping me come up with something to fill a space when the photo reference is lacking, and in this case the reference was lacking just about everything.<br /><br />Here are a couple of detail close ups;<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rOu_Xrlno8g/WSwpDbsMRQI/AAAAAAAACjQ/lJwaeqxl9PAf1q0qd0qJh8DPq1r0te81QCLcB/s1600/ACR013-8X10-0517-D1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting closeup texture palette knife acrylic" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rOu_Xrlno8g/WSwpDbsMRQI/AAAAAAAACjQ/lJwaeqxl9PAf1q0qd0qJh8DPq1r0te81QCLcB/s400/ACR013-8X10-0517-D1.jpg" title="Mountain Lake Detail 1" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8-g1W6d39uQ/WSwpKCMVU3I/AAAAAAAACjU/zHSAE2FIU1gRhNoZ5W64vMdCGS7RArT4QCLcB/s1600/ACR013-8X10-0517-D2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting palette knife detail texture closeup" border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="728" height="342" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8-g1W6d39uQ/WSwpKCMVU3I/AAAAAAAACjU/zHSAE2FIU1gRhNoZ5W64vMdCGS7RArT4QCLcB/s400/ACR013-8X10-0517-D2.jpg" title="Mountain Lake Detail 2" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank">Visit David King Studio Prints!</a></h3><h3></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-378710526157682632017-05-21T13:30:00.000-07:002018-07-04T16:14:56.320-07:00Green and OutContinuing my palette knife series, this time an abandoned&nbsp;1957 Chevy heavy truck left to rot in a grassy field viewed from the front.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKex_7CiyHk/WSH2q_fsjxI/AAAAAAAACiM/xrM2fz4DZ7gL0dxiax4XEL4aEWswd0GEQCLcB/s1600/ACR012-12X12-0517-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting truck palette knife Chevy vintage abandoned" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKex_7CiyHk/WSH2q_fsjxI/AAAAAAAACiM/xrM2fz4DZ7gL0dxiax4XEL4aEWswd0GEQCLcB/s400/ACR012-12X12-0517-L.jpg" title="Green and Out" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Green and Out"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">12" X 12", Acrylic on 2" deep cradled panel<br /><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/232438248456?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649" target="_blank">Original - $150</a><br /><a href="https://11-david-king.pixels.com/featured/green-and-out-david-king.html" target="_blank">Prints Available</a><br /><u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I again I pushed the abstraction on this one, almost as much as I did in <a href="http://davidkingstudio.blogspot.com/2017/04/abstract-red-tractor.html" target="_blank">"Red Abstract Tractor"</a>&nbsp; In some ways that's a bigger challenge on a truck, there are more details that need to remain recognizable, I still want someone&nbsp;to be able to recognize the make and year of the truck, using a palette knife to paint sure makes that a challenge.</div><div><br /></div><div>I painted this one in a square format, not only is the square perfect for these head on vehicle views but I just happened to have a deep cradled panel on hand that was 12x12 and wanted to use it, I painted the sides black.&nbsp; What I like about deep cradled panels is not only can they be hung without a frame but since the sides are perfectly flat unlike gallery wrapped canvases they can just be set down on a shelf or any other flat, horizontal surface.<br /><br />Here are a couple close up of areas of the painting so you can see the texture and knife strokes.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jpF_Tsu7WA/WSH6zeolKXI/AAAAAAAACio/-8T0627Kn6Uy-q9S6wQgHWoqwb0gVLStQCLcB/s1600/ACR012-12X12-0517-D1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting palette knife green Chevy truck abstract" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jpF_Tsu7WA/WSH6zeolKXI/AAAAAAAACio/-8T0627Kn6Uy-q9S6wQgHWoqwb0gVLStQCLcB/s400/ACR012-12X12-0517-D1.jpg" title="Green and Out detail one" width="362" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3></h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9qU7ILFEAFg/WSH7EnKl4gI/AAAAAAAACis/tCwg25WR1eY60wqhAbFjKAC5a2Yjs1PigCLcB/s1600/ACR012-12X12-0517-D2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting abstract detail palette knife stroke" border="0" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9qU7ILFEAFg/WSH7EnKl4gI/AAAAAAAACis/tCwg25WR1eY60wqhAbFjKAC5a2Yjs1PigCLcB/s400/ACR012-12X12-0517-D2.jpg" title="Green and Out detail two" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3>Click on image to enlarge</h3></td></tr></tbody></table></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank">Visit David King Studio Prints!</a></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-4594571960527753272017-05-05T16:14:00.000-07:002018-05-09T16:06:31.481-07:00Thicker and More AbstractUsing a palette knife instead of a brush for painting presents the opportunity for thicker paint application and a more abstract painting style.&nbsp; I decided to try pushing both of those qualities when painting this small landscape.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4yXJxiYUSI8/WQ0EcptyRuI/AAAAAAAACf4/p8LGFJ1AjBAqbGUsk_AwcGX2d1A26rqzQCLcB/s1600/ACR011-12X9-0517-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art painting palette knife abstract landscape rural country land" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4yXJxiYUSI8/WQ0EcptyRuI/AAAAAAAACf4/p8LGFJ1AjBAqbGUsk_AwcGX2d1A26rqzQCLcB/s400/ACR011-12X9-0517-L.jpg" title="Open Spaces" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>Click on image to enlarge</div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Open Spaces"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">12" X 9", Acrylic on 1/8" panel<br /><u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><div>As you can see the wide open spaces of the countryside is my inspiration for this painting, it often is.&nbsp; I kept the palette knife loaded heavily and the strokes free and overlapping to help push the abstraction while keeping the subject recognizable. There's a great deal of freedom in painting this way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a couple of zoomed in details of small areas of the painting.&nbsp; Here you can really see how thick the paint is and how random the strokes appear to be but when you zoom out and see the whole image it becomes something familiar.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IrGj2yMa8M/WQ0G4QSN0tI/AAAAAAAACgM/twUawW__4BE3cWaOxXkFmqwdufUJSRbdwCLcB/s1600/ACR011-12X9-0517-D2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art abstract painting landscape detail zooomed in" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IrGj2yMa8M/WQ0G4QSN0tI/AAAAAAAACgM/twUawW__4BE3cWaOxXkFmqwdufUJSRbdwCLcB/s400/ACR011-12X9-0517-D2.jpg" title="Open Spaces Detail 2" width="317" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yFL4moYRScs/WQ0GlBY1fmI/AAAAAAAACgI/JR1IKzjYCvkU5iPtfKh-VpHnb-Lo_I7GQCLcB/s1600/ACR011-12X9-0517-D1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="art abstract painting landscape detail zooomed in" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yFL4moYRScs/WQ0GlBY1fmI/AAAAAAAACgI/JR1IKzjYCvkU5iPtfKh-VpHnb-Lo_I7GQCLcB/s400/ACR011-12X9-0517-D1.jpg" title="Open Spaces Detail 1" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>Click on image to enlarge</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><h3></h3><h3></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-58915907837199604842017-04-12T20:41:00.001-07:002018-05-09T16:06:49.367-07:00Farm MemoriesIt seems like old farms in the rural areas of Utah and I'm sure other places are almost like outdoor museums displaying historic relics of times gone by.&nbsp; You'll find everything from&nbsp;horse drawn plows&nbsp;to tractors from the 1960's, manure spreaders from the 1920's to grain trucks from the 70's and everything in between.&nbsp; Sometimes you'll come across items that aren't even farm implements such as antique gas pumps or manual washing machines and more.&nbsp; Of course my favorite "farm finds" are old trucks and tractors.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0PuTYOoneaw/WO7xTkc-BxI/AAAAAAAACfg/yGfy1p7x9swUbFnQyJlT6qoveJUkG4KewCLcB/s1600/PTG013-8x10-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="art painting palette knife truck Chevy antique abandoned" border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0PuTYOoneaw/WO7xTkc-BxI/AAAAAAAACfg/yGfy1p7x9swUbFnQyJlT6qoveJUkG4KewCLcB/s400/PTG013-8x10-L.jpg" title="Farm Memories" width="400" /></a></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></h3><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Farm Memories"</i></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">16" X 20", Acrylic on panel<u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I found this old Chevy flatbed truck in this painting in the small Sanpete County town of Fountain Green.&nbsp; It was actually part of a display that could be called an outdoor museum of sorts.&nbsp; Not only were tractors displayed with it but an old wood barn was there covered in old signs, license plates and hubcaps.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_cbmVpz6tc/WO7yHX_Ch9I/AAAAAAAACfo/UvzexngttAE4HrEK2lCpvyRKlrAB_T3egCLcB/s1600/PHO010-0916-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="fine art photograph old barn sign vintage Phillps 66" border="0" height="336" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_cbmVpz6tc/WO7yHX_Ch9I/AAAAAAAACfo/UvzexngttAE4HrEK2lCpvyRKlrAB_T3egCLcB/s400/PHO010-0916-L.jpg" title="Signage Barn" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cool, huh?&nbsp; This is just one of those special treats you just might find while wandering the back roads.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The painting was done entirely with a palette knife.&nbsp; On the body I tried to keep the palette knife strokes simple, just lay them down and leave them alone, it created a bit of a patchwork effect yet the form of the body is still quite clear.&nbsp; I just love these kinds of visual tricks that make an abstract application of paint look like something recognizable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></h3><br />David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-25459786669669613742017-04-10T15:49:00.000-07:002018-05-09T16:07:04.596-07:00Hemi Hot RodI like my hot rods "old school", which means I like the traditional styling from the late 40's into the early 60's.&nbsp; To me that era was the epitome of cool in the hot rod and custom car world.&nbsp; It can be hard to find a car around here built strictly to that style, many come close but then install modern street radials which often kill the look.&nbsp; I admire a car owner that keeps true to the old school aesthetic, it isn't exactly easy and you have to give up a bit of comfort and drivability, to me&nbsp;the look is&nbsp;worth it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwgpeQyxQPY/WOwJY3m_MtI/AAAAAAAACfQ/U1UOcQhKOHoK2sdG4WMTeeVyKnGhwvjLgCLcB/s1600/PTG003-8x10-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwgpeQyxQPY/WOwJY3m_MtI/AAAAAAAACfQ/U1UOcQhKOHoK2sdG4WMTeeVyKnGhwvjLgCLcB/s400/PTG003-8x10-L.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Hemi Hot Rod"</i></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">12" X 16" Acrylic on panel</div><br />The hot rod depicted in this painting is one&nbsp;of those cars that gets it right.&nbsp; The early hemi engine makes this ride even sweeter.&nbsp; The Chrysler corporation hemispherical engines were in the thick of the early overhead valve engine displacement wars of the early 1950's and so were a prime candidate for an engine swap into a Model A Ford or '32 Ford hot rod like this one.&nbsp; This is one of my favorite local cars, I love it.<br /><br />I feel this is one of my most successful abstraction attempts to date, as abstract as the engine is I think anybody that's into vintage cars will recognize it as an early&nbsp;hemi...one hot rodded with four single barrel carbs and lakester headers.<br /><br />David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-30918850095744750572017-04-09T15:00:00.000-07:002018-05-09T16:07:15.945-07:00Abstract Red TractorBy the late 1960's tractors were becoming more angular in design, more modern I guess but a little less visually appealing.&nbsp; However most still didn't have cabs, fenders and fully enclosed engine bays yet so that can still make interesting art subjects.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FVr-FtPYPqk/WOqt7YOdkwI/AAAAAAAACe8/lYmw7iIi4FkPLvZC1T3ZoTEYoUpC_LrdgCLcB/s1600/ACR007-11X14-0317-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="art painting tractor farmall red abandoned abstract" border="0" height="313" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FVr-FtPYPqk/WOqt7YOdkwI/AAAAAAAACe8/lYmw7iIi4FkPLvZC1T3ZoTEYoUpC_LrdgCLcB/s400/ACR007-11X14-0317-L.jpg" title="Red Abstract Tractor" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Red Abstract Tractor"</i></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">11" X 14", Acrylic on panel<u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><br />The tractor that is the subject of this painting is an example of the direction the designs were going by the mid 60's, though it might be hard to tell since I painted it semi-abstract using a palette knife.&nbsp; The tractor in my reference photo was actually missing the hood, but I'm fairly confident it was a Farmall by International Harvester.&nbsp; <br /><br /><h3></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-40692639804400409972017-04-08T13:34:00.000-07:002018-05-09T16:07:25.968-07:00Abstract JohnnyFor some people all tractors are green, as in John Deere green.&nbsp; Early John Deere tractors are often referred to as "Johnny's", or "Poppin' Johnny's" if they are running the two cylinder engine that kind of "pops" as the tractor lopes long.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g79yrVoNoSY/WOlGThgYQyI/AAAAAAAACcA/IXosRgLTwRUst4QqjOrCx5Ob-PrDhn-YACLcB/s1600/ACR006-20X16-0317-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g79yrVoNoSY/WOlGThgYQyI/AAAAAAAACcA/IXosRgLTwRUst4QqjOrCx5Ob-PrDhn-YACLcB/s400/ACR006-20X16-0317-L.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Abstract Johnny"</i></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">20" X 16", Acrylic on panel<u><span style="color: #000120;"><br /></span></u></div><br />Lately abstraction has been on my mind.&nbsp; Not that I want to paint abstracts, but rather I want to paint representational images that are nearly abstract but still readily recognizable.&nbsp; I figure the best way to achieve that is to paint using palette knives, or even better, "wedges".&nbsp; What's a wedge?&nbsp; It's what Princeton calls it's line of paint application tools that are basically a thin contoured wedge shape, some come with shaped edges for creating special textures.&nbsp; On this painting&nbsp;I used the&nbsp;wedge they call "Contour C-83" for almost the whole painting.&nbsp; I kept the background totally abstract and just applied blocks of various colors which is kind of what I did for the body of the tractor as well.&nbsp; <br /><br />When using alternative tools to paint with you often give up a degree of control, which is fine, it keeps you from getting too fussy.&nbsp; I really like the effect and enjoy painting this way, as a bonus I don't have to rinse out and clean any brushes.<br /><a href="http://davidkingstudioprints.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a><br /><h3></h3>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-57233558666267247932017-03-29T16:45:00.001-07:002018-05-09T16:07:41.610-07:00Late Afternoon LightI think the lighting during late autumn is often the most dramatic.&nbsp; In particular late afternoon just an hour or two before the sun hits the horizon, the light is low but bright, the trees are nearly bare yet the ground is not yet covered in snow.&nbsp; I think this situation creates a stark contrast between light and shadow with ground foliage still showing to add interest.&nbsp; I think taking a walk amongst nature alone at these times has a very special mood that's hard to describe in words, so I tried to describe it in a charcoal drawing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uc6Pm-WSdZE/WNxFl7dXwFI/AAAAAAAACbs/nxHFJGaGvAMZn6RaUC_0SpvDmxUG2ytHgCLcB/s1600/CHA002-12X9-0317-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uc6Pm-WSdZE/WNxFl7dXwFI/AAAAAAAACbs/nxHFJGaGvAMZn6RaUC_0SpvDmxUG2ytHgCLcB/s640/CHA002-12X9-0317-L.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Late Afternoon Walk"</i></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">9.5" X 12", charcoal on paper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The&nbsp; drawing is based on a photo I took in the South Jordan area of the Jordan River Parkway.&nbsp; This was one of the few places on the parkway where there is a significant hill to climb or descend, it's fairly steep and not real short.&nbsp; I think the perspective of looking uphill added to the effect.&nbsp; I made some small composition changes,&nbsp;adding the distant bush at the upper right and the distant hill for balance.&nbsp; I think I captured the mood pretty well, makes me want to go out for&nbsp;a late afternoon walk.</div><br />David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-63165910234047727572017-02-19T20:32:00.000-08:002018-05-09T16:07:55.292-07:00The Moody LandscapeOne of the things I enjoy about using charcoal is the sense of moodiness you can create with it.&nbsp; Maybe it's just me though, but it seems with paint I tend towards bright, colorful and sunny whereas with charcoal I tend more towards dark and moody, the medium just lends itself to that.&nbsp; Here's my latest example;<br /><br /><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6CKmldes_M/WKpwjODcOxI/AAAAAAAACbM/Ml14HZqyC3IzCleUFHNqKrR4EKuZENISQCLcB/s1600/CHA001-10X14-0217-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img alt="art drawing landscape charcoal rural nature open land" border="0" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6CKmldes_M/WKpwjODcOxI/AAAAAAAACbM/Ml14HZqyC3IzCleUFHNqKrR4EKuZENISQCLcB/s400/CHA001-10X14-0217-L.jpg" title="Landscape Study I" width="400" /></i></a></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><i>"Landscape Study I"</i></h3><div style="text-align: center;">10" X 14" charcoal on paper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I did this charcoal drawing as a study for a painting, one that I've already started and guess what, it's turning out sunny and colorful, oh well, I gotta be me.</div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-25849204179067674072017-01-29T20:36:00.001-08:002018-05-09T16:08:07.635-07:00A Rare Winter DrawingEverybody&nbsp;who knows me knows that I am not a fan of winter.&nbsp; Short days and inclement weather keep me indoors.&nbsp; Not that I mind being indoors, just not this much, I need some outdoor time too and during the winter I get very little.&nbsp; I'll admit, I have a very low tolerance for cold, freezing especially so it doesn't have to be dark or snowing or even windy to keep me indoors, just cold.&nbsp;It's probably for those reasons that winter makes a rare appearance in my art,&nbsp;this is one of those rare occurrences.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gm15-PVEJZE/WI7BUz8wJCI/AAAAAAAACVo/bzO44PZZ4zQWCnzCkLKN3T1XbK3-EVNfQCLcB/s1600/DKS-078-6x6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="art drawing charcoal winter truck abandoned snow" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gm15-PVEJZE/WI7BUz8wJCI/AAAAAAAACVo/bzO44PZZ4zQWCnzCkLKN3T1XbK3-EVNfQCLcB/s400/DKS-078-6x6.jpg" title="Snowbound GMC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Snowbound GMC"</i></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">6" X 6", charcoal on paper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I discovered this little scene with the old snow covered GMC grain truck in the small, rural town of Eden, Utah a couple years ago.&nbsp; The background was actually cluttered with modern vehicles in a parking lot, I changed it to a simple natural background.&nbsp; The dimensions on this one are 6" X 6", a small a square, I might make a series of drawings in this format.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372380716046173029.post-8991693870637084422017-01-04T15:54:00.002-08:002018-05-09T16:08:26.530-07:00Enter the ForestI've been a bit slack about the blog, a little slack in general really but at least I&nbsp;recently finished another charcoal drawing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9XF3YYzUrE/WG2IcyyQI7I/AAAAAAAACRQ/KJjOtjrkiAwJBXeNM9q71uvrMc4DW1CdACLcB/s1600/DKS-076-10x8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="art drawing charcoal mountain forest evergreen tree nature" border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9XF3YYzUrE/WG2IcyyQI7I/AAAAAAAACRQ/KJjOtjrkiAwJBXeNM9q71uvrMc4DW1CdACLcB/s400/DKS-076-10x8.jpg" title="Enter the Forest" width="320" /></a></div><h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Enter the Forest"</i></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">charcoal, 10" X 8"</div><br />This drawing is based on a photo taken during one of my many hikes up in the Wasatch Mountains.&nbsp; This one in particular was taken up above Lake Mary at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon.&nbsp; I love how the density of the evergreen tree forest creates a sense of mystery about what one might find when following the path therein.&nbsp; I tried to enhance the mood by making the drawing even darker than the photo, being&nbsp;black and white&nbsp;also enhances that effect.<br /><br />I have a large drawing on the easel as well that I pick at every now and then.&nbsp; Here is a work in progress photo of it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ynNJeC4XMo/WG2JoDIkFVI/AAAAAAAACRc/upRgcl7eqgUttuRGhFZ2XOMVkeGF7AcTACLcB/s1600/161217-01%2Bdwg%2Bwip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="art drawing charcoal WIP forest nature tree" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ynNJeC4XMo/WG2JoDIkFVI/AAAAAAAACRc/upRgcl7eqgUttuRGhFZ2XOMVkeGF7AcTACLcB/s400/161217-01%2Bdwg%2Bwip.jpg" title="Charcoal Drawing WIP 1" width="375" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can see it's going to be a mysterious forest drawing also.&nbsp; I believe it will end up being in the neighborhood of 22" X 16".&nbsp; Here is a close up of an area that is now mostly finished.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eOTtrLsr1dg/WG2KFdM8_AI/AAAAAAAACRg/WRTwYV-KgLsStmu7Wcmw4IjghrVX4vVtACLcB/s1600/161218-01%2Bdwg%2Bwip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="art drawing charcoal WIP detail forest nature tree" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eOTtrLsr1dg/WG2KFdM8_AI/AAAAAAAACRg/WRTwYV-KgLsStmu7Wcmw4IjghrVX4vVtACLcB/s400/161218-01%2Bdwg%2Bwip.jpg" title="Charcoal Drawing WIP 2" width="262" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So you can see I'm still going strong on my charcoal kick.&nbsp; I love the simplicity and kinds of mood that can be created with this basic yet challenging medium.&nbsp; My charcoal fascination my never end.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />David Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01303137335737257197noreply@blogger.com0